Union sees no reason to change no confidence position regarding chief.
By: Gwen Runkle
PLAINSBORO Despite recent proposals to improve management of the township Police Department, the township’s rank-and-file police union still sees no reason to stand down in its position of no confidence in police administrators.
The Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 319 announced in August 2002 that it had taken a vote of no confidence in Chief David Lyon’s ability to lead the department.
Since then, Mayor Peter Cantu and Deputy Mayor Neil Lewis have met with all officers individually and crafted several management changes with the help of Chief Lyon and Township Administrator Patrick Guilfoyle.
The changes include appointing an outside judge to handle disciplinary hearings, instead of Mr. Guilfoyle, and having disciplinary appeals go directly to state Superior Court instead of to the Township Committee.
The township also would have two separate people handling promotions one with the authority to promote and another to hear arguments for and against promotion. Mr. Guilfoyle currently has both responsibilities.
But in a letter to The Packet, Patrolman Nick Procaccini, PBA president, Patrolman John Molnar, PBA vice president, and Patrolman Jason Mariano, PBA state delegate, say not enough has been done.
The letter states that the PBA was "disappointed" it could not speak about the internal affairs issue concerning former police officer John Eckert Jr. and wants command personnel involved in his case to "admit mistakes" made in an investigation. Concerns about ticket quotas also were raised.
Officer Eckert was with the township Police Department for nearly 10 years before resigning in August 2002 after facing several internal disciplinary charges. He was placed on administrative leave with pay in March 2002 due to an internal investigation into alleged incidents of misconduct over a period of at least four years.
The Township Committee is expected to vote on the proposed police management changes on Monday.

